Magnetic latch



Oct. 4, 1966 E. A. HEPPNER 3,276,804

MAGNETIC LATCH Filed July 2, 1964 INVENTOR.

Elnwre @ff u mex United States Patent 3,276,804 MAGNETIC LATCH Elmore A. Heppner, Round Lake, 111., assignor to Heppner Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,978 3 Claims. (CL 292251.5)

This invention relates to a magnetic device and more particularly to a magnetic latch of improved construction and design.

It is the general object of the present invention to produce a new and improved magnetic device of the character described.

Magnetic latches have been in common use for some time for providing a simple method of holding a door of a cabinet, for example, in closed position. Such devices are easy to install, can be made relatively inexpensively, and are capable of operating satisfactorily over long periods of time.

One of the problems accompanying the installation of magnetic latches is the requirement that the parts be rather accurately aligned so that a full contact between the magnet (or pole pieces of the magnet if such are being used) and the striker plate may be achieved. In an attempt to overcome the requirement for exactitude in installation, it has been suggested to mount the magnet on a pivot post in order to permit it to be somewhat selfaligning, although such constructions have proved to be expensive and in some cases difiicult to manufacture.

According to the present invention, there is provided a magnetic latch which includes a sandwich of a magnet carrying on either side thereof a pole piece, one pole piece bearing against the north pole of the magnet and the other against the opposite pole. The sandwich is provided with arcuate edges held for limited rotational movement within a housing so that the entire sandwich can be self-aligning and yet can be manufactured without the necessity of providing mechanical pivots and the like.

Further advantages and objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet in which a device of the present invention is installed;

FIG. 2 is a top front plan View of the magnet latch of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the latch shown in FIG. 2 used in combination with a striker plate;

FIG. 4 is a side view partially in section showing the striker plate in contact with the magnetic latch; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the magnetic latch of FIG. 4.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a cabinet having a door 11 and a plurality of shelves, one of which is designated as 12. Mounted on the shelf 12 is a striker plate 13 secured thereto by fasteners 14 extendingthrough slots 15 in the striker plate, to permit some adjustment thereof to bring the striker plate in contact with the magnetic latch.

The magnetic latch of the present invention includes a housing 16 having a first outer opening 17 therein and an inner opening 18 of larger diameter than the opening 17. The two openings are interconnected by curved side walls 19 and the housing is completed by the end walls 20. The housing 16 is secured to a generally rectangular base plate 21 having suitable openings therein to receive fastening devices 22 for securing the latch to the door 11.

Insertable into the housing 16 through the inner opening 18 is a magnetic sandwich comprising a magnet 25 and a pair of pole pieces 26 held against the north and south poles, respectively, of the magnet. The pole pieces and magnet are provided with arcuate edge portions 27 and the sandwich itself has a transverse dimension (as best seen in FIG. 4) less than the height of the housing 16 so as to provide a space 28 between the inner face of the magnetic sandwich and the surface of the door 11.

It will be seen that should any slight misalignment be present between the edges of the pole pieces 26 which project somewhat beyond the face of the magnet 25 as shown in FIG. 5, the sandwich may shift in the housing by rotating slightly so as to correct such minor misalignments and permit the exposed edge portions of the pole pieces to be in full contact with the striker plate.

It will thus be clear to those skilled in the art that there is provided herewith a novel magnetic latch capable of being manufactured at a relatively low cost and yet possessing all of the self-aligning capabilities of devices more complex in nature and expensive to fabricate.

I claim:

1. A magnetic latch comprising a housing having a first opening on one side thereof and a sec-0nd and smaller opening on the opposite side thereof, said housing having curved side walls extending toward each other from the first opening to the second opening, a magnet, a pair of pole pieces on either side of the magnet to form therewith a sandwich inserted into said first opening and ex posed it said second opening, said sandwich having arcuate edge portions conforming to the curved side walls to permit limited rotational movement of the sandwich within the housing, the diameter of said sandwich being greater than the diameter of the second opening to retain the sandwich within the housing when the same is mounted with the first opening closely adjacent a support.

2. A magnetic latch comprising a flat base plate having an opening therein, a housing upstanding from the base plate and having a second opening therein opposite from and smaller than the first opening, said housing having side walls curved toward each other and extending between said openings to give the housing an arcuate cross section, a magnet, a pair of pole pieces on either side of the magnet to form therewith a sandwich inserted into said first opening and exposed at said second opening, said sandwich having arcuate edge portions conforming to the curved side walls to pennit limited rotational movement of the sandwich within the housing, the diameter of said sandwich being greater than the diameter of the second opening to retain the sandwich within the housing when the same is mounted with the first opening closely adjacent a support, and means for securing the base plate to a support.

3. A magnetic latch comprising a housing havinla\ first side and opposite thereto a second side of smaller size than the first side, an opening on the smaller side, said housing having curved side walls extending toward each other from the first side to the second side, a magnet, a pair of pole pieces on either side of the magnet to form therewith a sandwich inserted into said housing and exposed at said opening, said sandwich having arcuate edge portions conforming to the curved side walls to permit limited rotational movement of the sandwich within the housing, the diameter of said sandwich being greater than the diameter of said opening to retain the sandwich within the housing when the same is mounted on a support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Rifkin 292-2515 X Ahlgren 292251'.5 X Foley 292251.5 X Stephens 292251.5 Margulis 248206 X Crandell 292-251.5 X

10 EDWARD c. ALLEN, Pm'mary Examiner.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Assistant Examiner. 

3. A MAGNETIC LATCH COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A FIRST SIDE AND OPPOSITE THERETO A SECOND SIDE OF SMALLER SIZE THAN THE FIRST SIDE, AN OPENING ON THE SMALLER SIDE, SAID HOUSING HAVING CURVED SIDE WALLS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THE FIRST SIDE TO THE SECOND SIDE, A MAGNET, A PAIR OF POLE PIECES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MAGNET TO FORM THEREWITH A SANDWICH INSERTED INTO SAID HOUSING AND EXPOSED AT SAID OPENING, SAID SANDWICH HAVING ARCUATE EDGE PORTIONS CONFORMING TO THE CURVED SIDE WALLS TO PERMIT LIMITED ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE SANDWICH WITHIN THE HOUSING, THE DIAMETER OF SAID SANDWICH BEING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID OPENING TO RETAIN THE SANDWICH WITHIN THE HOUSING WHEN THE SAME IS MOUNTED ON A SUPPORT. 